Oct. 24, 1999
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – – The Notre Dame volleyball team won its sixth-straight BIG EAST match of 1999 with a 15-9, 15-11, 15-7, win over the visiting Connecticut Huskies Sunday afternoon at the Joyce Center. With the win the Irish improved to 12-6 overall and 6-0 in BIG EAST play, while the Huskies fell to 14-6 overall and 3-3 in the BIG EAST.
The Irish were led by sophomore Kristy Kreher (Birmingham, Mich.) and junior Christi Girton (Muncie, Ind.), who both had double-doubles. Kreher hit .700 with 15 kills and 11 digs., while Girton had 14 kills and 10 digs. Notre Dame also had four digs apiece from senior captain Mary Leffers (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore Marcie Bomhack (Waukesha, Wis.), while Denise Boylan (Lisle, Ill.) had 51 assists.
In game one, the Irish broke a 5-5 tie by scoring four unanswered points and pull to a four-point lead at 9-5. The Huskies hung tough, before the Irish pushed four more unanswered points, making the score 13-6. An ace by UCONN’s Chanice Harris and consecutive kills by Janice Dykema got Connecticut to within four at 13-9. A block by Girton and junior Jo Jameyson (Alvin, Texas) and a hitting error by Stephanie Schindel closed out the game for the Irish, 15-9.
The next game was just as tight as the two teams were tied at six, nine, 10 and 11, before the Irish pulled away with two points on blocks, two points on back row violations by Connecticut setter Maria Shaker and a kill by Leffers, winning 15-11.
In the final game, the Irish jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and never looking back, capturing game three and the match, 15-7.
The Huskies, who are the first BIG EAST team to reach double-digits against the Irish this season, were led by Chanice Harris’s 13 kills, while Stephanie Schindel had 10 digs.
The Notre Dame volleyball team will be back in action next weekend for two more BIG EAST matches at Boston College (Oct. 30) and Providence (Oct. 31).